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From Fort Pierre to Fort Randall: the Army's First Use of Portable Cottages

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From Fort Pierre to Fort Randall: the Army's First Use of Portable Cottages Copyright © 2002 by the South Dakota State Historical Society. All Rights Reserved. From Fort Pierre to Fort Randall: The Army's First Use of Portable Cottages Timothy R. Nowak In his memoirs, a former soldier who had been garrisoned at Fort Pierre Chouteau on the upper Missouri River lamented about the experimental portable bamacks tliat had housed the men during tlie harsh winter of 1855-1856. Augustus Meyers, a musician witli Com- pany D, Second United States Infantry, recalled with some contempt, ">XTioever designed these cardboard houses—for they proved to be but little better—liad but a small conception of the requirements of that ciimate. The winters were long, with deep snow and frequent blizzards. The architea of these shelters was indirectly the cause of much suffering,"' Meyers had been a member of Brevet Brigadier General William S. Hame/s Sioux expedition, launched 28 May 1855 to punish the bands of Lakota. or westem Sioux, Indians that had been harassing emigrants along the Platte River Road. The expedition, which culmi- nated in the Battle of Blue Water Creek in Nebraska Territory, was the first major military operation against the Lakotas on the Northem Great Plains.- Hamey's men then moved on to the old Missouri River trading post of Fort Pierre Chouteau, which the War Department had purchased from the American Fur Company to serve as headquar- ters for the anny's future management of the region. Although it is the chronicle of the September 1855 battle and Hameys subsequent h Fort Pierre that define the Sioux expedition, the story of the 1. Augustus Meyers, "DaktKa in the Fifties." South Dakota Historical Collections 10 (1920): 135. 2. For a good SLiinmary of ilie Sioux expedition, see Richmond L. Clow. "GeiK-ral William S, Hame>' on the Northt-m PiairLs," South Dakota History \t (Fall I9K6): 229-48. Copyright © 2002 by the South Dakota State Historical Society. All Rights Reserved. 96 South Dakota History Vol. 32, no. 2 troops' experiences with their "cardboard houses" die following win- ter makes this episode even more singular and fascinating. Tlie arcliitect whose structures caused Harney s men so much suffering was Captain Parmenas T Tumley (Figure 1), assistant quar- temiaster for the Sioux expedition. Bom in Dandridge, Tennessee, in 1821, Tumley had entered tlie LJnited States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1842. He graduated in July 1846, receiving a commission as a second lieutenant in the Second Infantry just in time to serve in the War widi Mexico. In Mexico, as part of the Fii-st Infantry, he was involved in the siege of Vera Cruz in March 1847 and remained on duty in Mexico City and Cuemavaca until 1848.-' After die close of die Mexican War, Turnley continued his frontier duty in Texas and New Mexico. i. HighlantlParii(lü.JPress. 27 Apr. 19U,Gœtf^\e.Cu\\um.comp..Bic^r^icatRegisterofthe Officers; and Gnuluutes ofthe V. S. Military Acadenty al West Point. N Y.. from tts Fstahiishmetit. in 1802, to 1890. 3 voLs. (New York: Hougliton. .Uifflin & Co,, 1891), 2: 287, Figure 1. Captain Parmenas T. Tu/-IIlev Copyright © 2002 by the South Dakota State Historical Society. All Rights Reserved. Summer 2002 Portable Cottages 97 It was while garrisoned upon the treeless plains and scrul>desert regions of die southwestern border c<^untry that Tumley realized the need ibr some type of portable sheiter diat wouid be more SLibsUin- tial than the army's common canvas tent. He and the other troops gLiarding against Indian incursions along the Rio Grande and other ¡")arts of die vast frontier lived for montlis and even years in die flimsy and uncomfortable tents, regardless of chilling winter winds or scorch- ing SLinimer sun. AJtliough it wouid have made sense for the anny to construct more jx^nnanent quarters for such extended ganison duty, the War Depaitment still deemed such duty to be only temporary and did not allow the construction of quarters using stone or lirick."* In jLine 1852, after neaily five yeare of frontier duty and the dis- agreeable exf)erience of life in an army tent, Tumley, now a first lietitenant, had the good fortune to be detailed to Chicago as a recrLiiter There he recalled his harsh frontier exile and \ydgan to devise plans for "some kind of convenient and portable shelter, inex- pensive, yet SLiperior to the tent.'"' Tlie concept was neither original nor particularly novel. At the l^ginning of tJie Mexican War, realizing that United States troops would be mounting a major military cam- paign in the barren wastelands of the North American deserts, inno- vative entrepreneLirs had begun offering ideas to the secretary of war for diverse and often imaginative types of shelters. As early as ALigust 1846, John H. Wcxxl of Cincinnati, Ohio, submitted a prtv posal to furnish die government widi portable cottages" of a.ssorted sizes that could be used for quarters, hospitals, and warehouses. Wood noted that diese nioveable hoiLses, which he liad patented, were commonly used tor family residences in die city of Cincinnad.'' While the notion of portable staictures may not have originated with Turnley he was apparently the first to convince the War De- partment that tlie idea had nierit. From liis Cliicago ¡>ost, Tumley drafted a preliminary sketch for what he referred to as a "portable barracks" (FigLire 2) and submitted it to the Office of die Quarter- master General in Wasiiington, D.C His plans for portable struc- 4. Parmenas T. Tiimley, Reminiscences ofRtrmenas Taylor TUmley: From Cradle to Three-Scorv and Ten (Chifago: Donohue & Henneberry, 1892), pp. 121-22,127. 5. Ihid, p. 127. ft. Wixxi to W, L. Marc>^ Secretary oí War, 15 .Aug. 1846. and Vtood to Thomas S. Jesup, Quaiter- master General, 7 Nov. 184íj, lx)tii tk)x H33. Entrj' 22'', Ctiasolittated Corre.spondence File tCCF), Records (rf the Office of the Quartermaster General, Record Group (RG) 92, National Archives (NA), Wa.shinglon, D.C. 7. Tumley. undated drawing, Quanemi;ister Coasolitkted File: Portable Cottages, RG 92, NA. Copyright © 2002 by the South Dakota State Historical Society. All Rights Reserved. Figure 2. Preliminary sketch ofTumleys portable barracks' tures must have made an impression. In September 1854, Tumley was reassigned to the quartennaster general's office, most likely for the purpase of perfecting liis design." In early November, after examining die plans and cost estimates Tumley had developed, Quartermaster General Thomas S. Jesup ordered him to Cincinnati, where he was to arrange widi die firm of Hinkle, Guild and Company to construa prototypes of officers' quar- ters and the barracks. Later in the month. Adjutant General Samuel Cooper of the War Department called togedier a board of officers to examine the prototypes and report on their udlity. Finding the por- table structures to be well suited for service where building materials were not readily available, the Ixiard recommended the immediate constaiction of officers' quarters and barracks sLifficient to serve a garrison of two to four companies. The staictures were dien to be ereaed in a suitable environment, such as Texas, and occupied for a period of time in order to evaluate theii- fitness.'' 8, Tumley, Reminiscences, p. 127. 9. Ibid.; Cooper, Special Order No. 187,17 Nov. 1854, and Mapr E. Backtis. Major E. B. Ii:ibbin, and Lieutenant F, Gardner, Repon of Board crfOffîœis, Cincinnati, Ohio, 25 Nov. 1854, both Box 833, Entry 225, CCF, RG 92, NA. Copyright © 2002 by the South Dakota State Historical Society. All Rights Reserved. Summer 2002 Portahle Cottages 99 Upon receiving the board's report, Tumley recommended that the War Department purchase the tluee Hinkle, Guild and Company prototypes, which included two officeiï>' quarters, priced at $270 each, and one barracks cottage, at a cost of $380. He noted, however, tliat additional portable slnictures could probably i>e obtained 15 to 20 percent cheaper from other manufacUiring finns and delivered di- rectly to Texas.'" In a letter to the adjutant general, Tumley suggested that portable cottages be provided for n(")t less than four companies and officers as a "final, practical, experiment." He l^elieved that he could not only have the cottages in fxjsition and occupied anywhere in Texas witliin sixty days, but tliat he could have them made for S210 for die officers' quarters and $325 for tlie barracks. Tumley further advised that he was presently preparing a "pattem bill" for "ever)' stick and element belonging to the cottage, so that the ma- cliinist can tuni off a 'cottage pattem' from his macliine, just the same as he now turns off twenty, thirty or fifty sets of 'tent poles & pins.'" ' ' Tumley sent Quartennaster General Jesup a copy of the com- pleted set of detailed instmctions for erecting tlie portable cottages, along with a description of materials, measurements, weights, and space needed to transport the structures (Figure 3). In addition, he provided a final tiiree-dimensiona.1 and elevation drawing of what the portable cottages would look like when assembled (Figure 4). With lesup's approval of the final design, Tumley selected the plan- ing mill and factory of Johnson and Morton in Cincinnati to construct the cottages.'^ Tumley s designs included two cottage sizes. The first, to Ixí u.sed for otficers' quarters, measured fifteen by thirty feet and had a mov- able partition that could l^e used to make two rooms, each about fifteen feet square. Tlie second measured forty-six feet by seventeen teet, eiglit inches, with no partition and was designed for use as eitlier a soldiers' barracks, hospital bunding, or storehouse. Both sizes were similar in construction. Tliey liad ceiling heights of nine feet and were built upon a base of four-by-fbur-inch sills.
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